CVE-2025-40886 is a SQL Injection vulnerability classified under CWE-89, discovered in the Alert functionality of Nozomi Networks Guardian, a cybersecurity monitoring product widely used in industrial and critical infrastructure environments. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands due to insufficient input validation of parameters submitted by authenticated users. An attacker with low-level authenticated access can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL statements on the backend database management system (DBMS). This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, unauthorized modification or deletion of database content, and potentially disrupt the availability of the application or its data. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.7 (high), reflecting network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and the requirement for low privileges but no user interaction. The vulnerability affects all versions of the product as indicated, with no patches currently linked, and no known exploits reported in the wild. Given the critical role of Nozomi Networks Guardian in monitoring and protecting industrial control systems and operational technology environments, exploitation could have severe consequences. The vulnerability’s presence in the alerting mechanism is particularly concerning as it may allow attackers to manipulate or suppress security alerts, undermining incident detection and response capabilities.

For European organizations, particularly those in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, manipulation of alerting systems, and disruption of monitoring capabilities, potentially delaying detection of cyberattacks or operational anomalies. This could result in operational downtime, financial losses, regulatory non-compliance, and damage to reputation. The ability to alter or delete database content may also compromise forensic investigations and incident response. Since Nozomi Networks Guardian is deployed in many industrial environments across Europe, the impact could extend to national critical infrastructure, affecting public safety and economic stability. The requirement for authentication lowers the risk somewhat but does not eliminate it, as insider threats or compromised credentials could be leveraged. The high CVSS score underscores the severity of the threat to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.

Organizations should prioritize the following mitigations: 1) Monitor Nozomi Networks’ advisories closely and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available to remediate the vulnerability. 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data within the application, especially parameters used in SQL queries, to prevent injection attacks. 3) Restrict database user permissions to the minimum necessary, ensuring that the application’s database account cannot perform unauthorized data manipulation or schema changes. 4) Employ network segmentation and access controls to limit access to the Nozomi Guardian web application to trusted users and systems only. 5) Enhance authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 6) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on injection flaws and privilege escalation paths. 7) Monitor logs and alerts for unusual database queries or suspicious activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 8) Educate users with access about the risks of SQL injection and the importance of secure credential handling.